ALBUM REVIEW: Terror – The 25th Hour
WORDS: James Weaver
TERROR have always been a band firmly established in the hardcore scene. Since their inception in 2002, the Californian five piece have taken hardcore back to its roots; crushing riffs, huge choruses and consistent pummelling rhythm. Now, thirteen years after their explosion into the modern hardcore scene, the band are back with album number six, The 25th Hour. Does this new offering from TERROR continue their tradition of no-nonsense hardcore or does it explore uncharted territory?
By now, fans of TERROR know what to expect. The band have never broken the mould when it comes to their musical approach to the hardcore sound and The 25th Hour by no means introduces new musical exploration. This is a hardcore album through and through. Riffs are incredibly solid throughout with the tempo at an all-time high ensuring that carnage is frequently experienced. It’s incredibly basic but oh so effective, with the riffwork on The Solution building momentum before exploding into a down beat barrage of noise whereas the rhythm featured on Blinded By The Lights oozes influence to early hardcore bands such as AGNOSTIC FRONT for example.
With the musical characteristics locked in standard hardcore, The 25th Hour really does showcase the band at their very best. Similar to the band’s previous record, 2013’s Live By The Code, The 25th Hour directs the attention towards the riff work of Martin Stewart and Jordan Posner and the vocal delivery of frontman Scott Vogel. These aspects are incredibly strong throughout the entirety of the record, with Scott Vogel’s hard vocal approach channelling the aggression of the genre to fine fashion. In terms of the guitar play the dual efforts are incredibly satisfying, with riffs consistent and powerful it gives TERROR that knockout punch that is so demanding in the hardcore genre. Closing track Deep Rooted showcases this sound perfectly with riffs sweeping the listener away whilst Scott Vogel’s vocal deliveries roars above. There is no doubting the contributions of drummer Nick Jett and the bass tones of David Wood but often they rely as a backing sound to the aggressive barrage of noise. Whilst it would have been nice to explore their contributions to a greater depth, it’s important to note that this goes against the trend of hardcore, but their consistent performance gives The 25th Hour the rapid speed it demands.
With the record only clocking in at 23 minutes, this is an incredibly short record. With the average song length at only two and a half minutes, The 25th Hour is very much a double edged sword. Whilst the record pummels you effectively throughout its 14 tracks, you can’t help but ache for more. The band certainly have explored new territory for The 25th Hour but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right? The 25th Hour is another fine addition by TERROR and firmly proves why the band champion the greatest elements of the hardcore genre.
Rating: 8/10
The 25th Hour is out now via Century Media Records
